The show deals with life learning issues portrayed by the tugs or other ships in theharbour.[1][9][10] Most often, the tugs have a problem, or get involved in a struggle with each other or another ship, but they always manage to help one another resolve these problems and see them through. Their main focus however, is to always make the Big Harbour the friendliest harbour in the world, and to always do a good job with their work related tasks.
The original idea for the series came toHalifax native Andrew Cochran, as he tried to explain the unique characteristics and work ofHalifax Harbour vessels to his three-year-old son while walking along the Halifax waterfront. According to Cochran, "When you are with kids, you tend to give human characteristics to buildings, cars and boats."[11] Cochran and his production company, Cochran Entertainment, went on to lead the development of the series with the CBC in Canada, starting in 1989. Production commenced in 1992 with the first broadcasts aired on CBC in 1993. Cochran Entertainment produced all 130 original episodes with Cochran as theexecutive producer.[12] Jeff Rosen served as the Executive Story Editor and Principal Writer of the series. The designs and faces for most of the characters were created byart director and master model makerFred Allen.[13] CBC Art Director Tom Anthes designed the set, which featured buildings and structures of Halifax Harbour. More than 60 of the 130 episodes were directed byRobert Cardona, the co-creator of the television showTugs and producer ofThomas & Friends. These series employed techniques later used inTheodore Tugboat such as humanized vehicles, life lessons and the use of a 1960s pop culture figure as narrator.
The show has one human character,The Harbourmaster, and five central tugboat characters, led by the show's namesake,Theodore Tugboat. Other ships, of all sizes, provide a large number of regular and occasional characters along with a few talking structures.
Along with all the duties of a real-lifeharbourmaster,The Harbourmaster is the host and narrator of the series,[1] and provides voices for the entire cast of characters.[1][8][14] He is the onlyhuman on the show to be played live by a screen actor (other on-screen humans being small figurines, much like the first twelve seasons ofThomas and Friends),[1][15] and is portrayed in the Canadian and US versions by the lateDenny Doherty,[5][16] formerly ofThe Mamas & the Papas,[1][3][5] and by other performers internationally. The Harbourmaster introduces the theme at the beginning of every episode by addressing an issue that he has in common with the tugs.[15] He also loves to play thetuba and is a good friend of a man named Rodney (who is never seen). The role, and the person playing the role, is similar to that ofShining Time Station,[1] the American series that featuredThomas & Friends; likeTheodore Tugboat, that series initially starred (and was narrated by) an entertainment figure associated with the 1960s.Ringo Starr (ofThe Beatles),[1][8] and later, comedianGeorge Carlin, both played the role of "Mr. Conductor". He also, like the narrator ofTUGS, but unlike the narrators of Thomas the Tank Engine (Starr & Carlin at least) – can communicate on screen with the Tugboats.
This life-size version ofTheodore Tugboat,Theodore Too plies the waters of Halifax Harbour.
Theodore Tugboat:[1] Theodore is thetitle character who lives in the Big Harbour with all of his friends. He's one of the smaller tugs who wears a redbaseball cap, and is sometimes offended if someone calls him "cute" or "small". He and his closest friend Hank are the only twoharbour tugs (tugs that are not yet eligible to work outside harbour boundaries). They both share the harbour tug side of the dock and love working together. He's a kind little tugboat that is always friendly to the other ships in the harbour,[1][15] with the goal of befriending everyone he meets. His biggest dream is to become anocean tug and to travel across the sea to different harbours,[10] but before he does, he works as hard as he can to make the Big Harbour the friendliest harbour in the world. That's why he is always there whenever someone needs him.
Hank:[1] Hank (the Volcano, as he sometimes calls himself) is the smallest, funniest, fastest tugboat in the Big Harbour. He wears a bluetoque and loves to make funny faces and noises as a way of getting attention. He can be very sensitive too, and usually gets ignored for being the smallest. Whenever he feels down, he always turns to Theodore for help or guidance. Hank was afraid of the dark once, but overcomes his fear when Theodore tells him that he was once afraid of the dark too. Sometimes Hank is the one to give a good idea without even knowing it. He always forgets to tuck in hisanchor, so the other tugs always remind him every now and then. He has the tendency to use the word "fresh" to describe something. Out of all the other tugboats, Hank is special because of his good humour and nature to learn and grow from his mistakes.
Emily "the Vigorous":[1] Emily is the only female tug in the fleet. She wears an old turquoisefishing hat that is very special to her. She loves to travel to different countries and discover new cultures and languages. Emily likes to be admired, but hates to look silly in front of her friends thinking they always have high expectations for her, and look up to her as a leader. Still, she always comes to find that her friends are there to help her, even if she doesn't ask for their help. She usually gets into arguments with George, but they always resolve their differences in the end. No matter how upset Emily gets, she always shows her kind spirits and strength.
George "the Valiant":[1] George is the largest and strongest tugboat in the Big Harbour. He wears a purple baseball cap on his head backwards. George loves to show off and can sometimes be a little rude without knowing it. He's somewhat stubborn and always struggles to admit that he is sometimes wrong. He especially loves to tell stories to the other tugs, mostly about himself. Whenever he gets irritated, he blows up a lot of smoke from his smokestack and makes loud noises with his powerful engines. Most of all, George is a hard worker, never leaves a job until it's done, and always stands up for his friends.
Foduck "the Vigilant":[1] Foduck is the harbour's safety tug. He wears a dark redfirefighter's hat and is equipped with extra bright spotlights, sonartransceiver and afire hose. Foduck is always very serious and makes sure all jobs are being performed safely. Foduck is aV tug like George and Emily, meaning he is fully qualified to make ocean voyages, but is content with staying in the harbour to keep it safe. Because of his strongwork ethic, Foduck usually doesn't express his feelings, but deep inside, he has a soft spot in his heart for everything and everyone in the harbour.
The Dispatcher: The tugboat Dispatcher is a rotating building on the "Great Ocean Tug and Salvage Company" wharf, who assigns the tugs their jobs for the day.[15] He has a black moustache and a flag on his head. He is usually very serious and strict with the tugs, but they are always respectful to him because of his authority-like figure. He shows that he cares for the tugs by disciplining them for their faults, and by counselling them for their mistakes. And like a father, he always has a gentle side to him, and is always there when the tugboats need his help the most.
A number of ships based in the Big Harbour appear asrecurring characters. They includePhillip and Philmore the Ferry Twins,Pearl and Petra, the Pilot Boats, as well asNorthumberland Submarine,Rebecca the Research Vessel, andBluenose the Sailing Ship. A number of barges appear frequently, most notably the grumpyGuysborough the Garbage Barge andBarrington Barge as well as a few regular talking structures such asBenjamin Bridge andDonald Dock.
Many visiting ships such asKingston the Cargo Ship,Queen Stephanie the cruise ship, andCanso Colossus the supertanker appear in several episodes along with a large number of named visitingcargo ships and some rare special visitors such asSnorri the Viking Ship andKulu the Canoe.
The show always opens with thetheme song, and the opening title dissolves into the Harbourmaster's office. The Harbourmaster is normally doing something or thinking about something, which prompts him to remember when one of the tugboats was involved in a similar scenario.[15]
As the Harbourmaster starts telling the story, the camera shot dissolves into a shot of the tugs working somewhere, or getting theirorders from the Dispatcher. In the first few minutes of the episode, the tugs encounter a problem, and they use their heads to solve it. "It is the classic three-act structure," said series creator Andrew Cochran, "Theodore encounters a problem, the problem gets worse, he solves the problem."[11] Other times, the tugs have to conquer an emotional problem, such as not feeling good enough, or having to say goodbye to a friend.[10] As each episode continues, the tugs resolve their problems, and life returns to normal in the Big Harbour.
The scene again dissolves into a shot of the Harbourmaster's office, with the Harbourmaster deciding to pay attention to the lesson learned by the tugs.[15] During this time, he sometimes communicates with the tugs through his office window (they reply with the sound of their whistles), plays his tuba, or listens to his friend Rodney playing bagpipes. The Harbourmaster finally says "Thanks for visiting us here in the Big Harbour, and we'll see you all again next time.", and the credits roll.[1]
On the half-hour PBS series, following the first story, the Harbourmaster's goodbye is instead followed by avoice-over, reminding viewers to stay tuned for the next story, and prompting them to visit the PBS website.
2View of the Theodore Tugboat studio models used for filming the children's television series. They were photographed on permanent display at theMaritime Museum of the Atlantic in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Virtually, all of the buildings are based on actual buildings on the Halifax waterfront.
The series was filmed in the former Alexander McKay School on Russell Street inHalifax's North End, which Doherty (the Harbourmaster) had attended as a child.[17][1][8][18] At the peak of production, the show employed forty people. The characters, including Theodore, were designed and built byFred Allen,[19] a Halifax artist andset designer who strove to balance expressive human faces with realistic and weathered industrial details.[13] Allen and three model assistants built the models in a workshop adjacent to the large set located in a water-filled gymnasium.[1] The radio controlled models were driven by propellers and used underwater wheels to provide guidance and avoid drifting out of shots.[1] Bluefood colour was used to give an ocean look to the water. While Allen built the vessel models, the background set, inspired by the cityscape of Halifax and Dartmouth buildings, was built by the art department at CBC Halifax.[11] Many of the original models used to film the series can now be seen at Halifax'sMaritime Museum of the Atlantic,[6] while a few others were sold oneBay in 2010.
The characters are loaded with references toHalifax Harbour, Nova Scotia, theMaritimes, andAtlantic Canada in general. Many of the references are obvious (such asBedford buoy) while others are more obscure. The following is a list of other references:
The tugs occasionally visit a fishing village called Ceilidh's Cove, which is loosely modelled fromPeggys Cove, a real-life fishing community in Nova Scotia.
Some of the tugboat characters' V-names are derived from actual tugboats that operate in Halifax Harbour, includingPoint Vigour andPoint Valiant.
Annapolis (a cargo ship) is named afterAnnapolis Royal in southwestern Nova Scotia.
Barrington (the smallest barge) is likely named after the municipality ofBarrington, Nova Scotia, which is located in the southwestern region of the province near Shelburne. He may have also gotten his name from one of Halifax's best-known streets,Barrington Street, which runs straight through thedowntown core parallel to the harbour.
Bedford (the buoy by Willy's Island) is based on both the name (Bedford Basin), part of Halifax Harbour, and the formertown of Bedford located at the head of the basin.
Benjamin Bridge (the bridge across the harbour) is based on the nameBenjamin Bridge, Nova Scotia, a place nearWolfville. (More recently the name is primarily associated with a winery located there, but the winery was founded in 1999, about six years after the character was introduced.)
Blandford (the buoy at the harbour entrance) is named after the fishing community ofBlandford, Nova Scotia, which later gained international fame as a base from which the rescue efforts ofSwissair Flight 111 were carried out.
Bluenose (a sailing ship) is named after the famous racing schooner of the 1920s, theBluenose. A replica of the "Bluenose", the "Bluenose II" sails as a promotional vessel forNova Scotia. Bluenose is also the name of the naval tug inTugs.
Bonavista (one of the barges) is named after the fishing town ofBonavista, located in the province ofNewfoundland.
Brunswick Barge shares his name with both Brunswick Street in downtown Halifax and the province ofNew Brunswick
Cabot (the cargo ship) is named after theCabot Trail, a highway that takes sight-seeres through the scenic mountainous regions of northernCape Breton Island.
Canso Colossus (the supertanker) is named after the small fishing town ofCanso, Nova Scotia on the southeast coast.
Caraquet (the container ship) shares her name with the town ofCaraquet, New Brunswick, located on the shores ofChaleur Bay, in theAcadian Peninsula. "Caraquet" is a nativeMi'kmaq word, meaning "junction (or meeting) of two rivers".[20][21]
Chester (the container ship) gets his name from the seaside village ofChester, Nova Scotia.
Cobequid Cove (visited in the episode "The Dark and Scary Cove") shares its name with both theCobequid Bay and theCobequid Hills mountain range ofmainland Nova Scotia. Cobequid is a proud, historic, and distinctly Nova Scotian name, derived from the native Mi'kmaq word "Wakobetgitk", meaning "end of the rushing or flowing water" (in reference to the Bay of Fundy).[22][23]
Dartmouth (a visiting cable ship) is named after the former city ofDartmouth, Nova Scotia, which lies on the eastern shore of Halifax Harbour. Dartmouth's municipal government was amalgamated into theHalifax Regional Municipality in 1996, but the area still retains its original name.
Digby (the cable ship) is named afterDigby, Nova Scotia, a seaside community on the northwest shore of Nova Scotia, famous for its scallop fishing.
Ecum Secum Circle (visited in the episode "Theodore's Big Decision") shares its name with the rural community ofEcum Secum, Nova Scotia, which is located along the shores of Ecum Secum Harbour. Named in the language of the Mi'kmaq,First Nations people, "Ecum Secum" translates to English as "a red house".
Fundy (the fishing boat) gets his name from theBay of Fundy, the body of water that separates southern Nova Scotia from southern New Brunswick and easternMaine, and is the body of water with the world's largest tides, that can exceed 16 metres or 52.5 feet.[24]
Guysborough (the garbage barge) is named afterGuysborough County on the south shore of Nova Scotia.
Lunenburg (the lighthouse by Shipwreck Rock) is named after the port town ofLunenburg, Nova Scotia, which is where the originalBluenose was built and the Bluenose II calls home.
Northumberland (the submarine) is named after theNorthumberland Strait, a body of water that lies between New Brunswick, Nova Scotia mainland, andPrince Edward Island.
Pictou Peaks (a cluster of giant rocks poking up out of the water near the shallow shore). Seen in the episode "Emily Goes Overboard", The 'Pictou Peaks' share their name with the historic portTown of Pictou, located inPictou County, Nova Scotia. It is believed the name is derived from the word "Piktook",[25][26] which means "an explosion of gas" in the language of the local Mi'kmaq, First Nations people.[25][26]
Pugwash (the little yellow mini-sub) shares her name with the fishing and saltmining village ofPugwash, Nova Scotia, located on the Northumberland Strait at the mouth of thePugwash River. The village takes its name from the word "pagwe’ak",[27] a native Mi'kmaq word meaning "deep water".[28][29][30]
Seabright (the cargo ship) is named after the tiny community ofSeabright, Nova Scotia, which is located southwest of Halifax.
Shediac (a supply shed at the shipyard dock) shares his name with the town ofShediac, New Brunswick, which holds the nickname "Lobster Capital of the World".[31][32]
Shelburne (the giant sea-going barge) is named after the town ofShelburne, Nova Scotia, which lies on the southwest shore of the province.
Stewiacke (the salvage ship) gets his name from the town ofStewiacke, Nova Scotia, which is located halfway between theequator and thenorth pole.[33][34] It was also the hometown of Fred Allen, the artist who designed and built the characters and set of Theodore Tugboat.[19][35][36]
Truro (the fishing trawler) gets his name from the town ofTruro, Nova Scotia, which is known as theHub of Nova Scotia for its central location and historical importance to the province's railroad network.[37][38]
It was also revealed in the episode "Hank's New Name" that Emily's middle name isAnnapolis, afterAnnapolis County in northwest Nova Scotia.
The US Theodore Tugboat tapes were released throughPBS Home Video andWarner Home Video. Most of these tapes are common on online sites. They usually contain three episodes, with the exception of "Theodore's Big Adventure" with two, and "Theodore's Exceptional Friends" which has five, also containing a special handbook.
The Murphy's Company Store in Halifax has copies of some US releases onDVD. These include;Big Harbor Bedtime,Nighttime Adventures, andTheodore's Friendly Adventures. In 2007, 2 DVD volumes were released in Norway, Denmark, Sweden, and Finland. A DVD was released in The Netherlands in 2012, followed by a second volume in 2013.
In a deal Cochran did withRandom House in 1998,[45] the following Theodore Tugboat books were published
Theodore and the Whale by Mary Man-Kong, illustrated by Bernat Serrat as part of the Please Read to Me series [9780679894216] Released March 16, 1999, Trade Paperback[46]
Theodore and the Scary Cove by Mary Man-Kong as part of the Early Step Into Reading series [9780375805080 and 9780375905087] Released July 25, 2000, Trade Paperback and Library Binding[47]
Theodore and the Treasure Hunt by Mary Man-Kong; illustrated by Francesc Mateu [9780375800863] Released December 10, 1999, Board Book[48]
Theodore to the Rescue by Random House; illustrated by Ken Edwards as part of the Jellybean books series for preschoolers.[9780375803253] Released June 27, 2000[49]
Theodore's Best Friend by Mary Man-Kong, illustrated by Ken Edwards as part of the Jellybean books series for preschoolers. [9780679894094 and 9780679994091] Released September 1, 1999, Hardcover[50]
Theodore's Splash! by Mary Man-Kong, illustrated by Ken Edwards [9780679894100] Released February 16, 1999, A bath time book[51]
Theodore's Whistle by Man-Kong, Mary [9780679894193] Released January 9, 1998, Trade Paperback[52]
Theodore and the Stormy Day by Ivan Robertson, illustrated by Ken Edwards as part of the Jellybean books series for preschoolers. [9780375800764] Released July 20, 1999, Hardcover[53]
Theodore's Birthday Surprise illustrated by Phil Gleaves as part of the Jellybean books series for preschoolers.[9780375802492] Released January 25, 2000, Hardcover[54]
In the late 2000s Nimbus Publishing released a series of books featuring Theodore Too.[55]
There were several tie-ins linked with the series. Notably, the producers, Cochran Entertainment, worked out a marketing deal with European toy manufacturerBRIO to produce wooden toy replicas of some of the main characters,[60] as well as a line of scaledie-cast models and bathtub toys manufactured byErtl.[61] The characters were retired in 2000. A set of squeezy toys were made by Alpi. Puzzles and games were made by International Playthings.
Theodore Too, a fullsize replica of Theodore Tugboat, titular star of the children's show, docked atMurphys Cable Wharf provides tours of Halifax Harbour in the summer.
A life-sized replica of Theodore Tugboat (calledTheodore Too)[62] was constructed by the series producers in the late 1990s,[2] that went on a fifty-city tour of harbours fromTampa, Florida,[63] through theGreat Lakes toChicago, Illinois, and back again toHalifax.[64] It resided in Halifax Harbour for 21 years.
In mid-2020, the touring company, Ambassatours Gray Line, announced plans to sell the replica boat for CAD$496,000.[65] Response from the public was generally nostalgic and emotional, as many, especiallyHaligonians who had not only grown up with the show, but with the boat as well. The boat was purchased in March 2021 by Blair McKeil.[66]Theodore Too left Halifax harbour on June 10, 2021 for the Port of Hamilton, Hamilton, Ontario where it will be used to promote water conservation in the Great Lakes.[67]
Theodore Tugboat merchandise can still be purchased from many on-line auction and shopping websites. Retail merchandise can also be purchased from the Theodore Tugboat Gift Shop, on the waterfront indowntown Halifax, nearTheodore Too and theMaritime Museum of the Atlantic.
Ertl released a number ofTheodore Tugboat toys, including die-cast boats, a set of rubber boats that float, and a "Press'n Roll" series of plastic boats (where pressing the smokestack then releasing it makes the boat move).
BRIO released manyTheodore Tugboat toys for interaction with itstoy trains.[60] Other than the tugboats, Brio released Benjamin Bridge, Clayton the Crane, Chester the Container Ship, Barrington, Bonnavista, and the Dispatcher.[60] The tugs and the Dispatcher feature moving eyes.
^Bogan, Larry (2000). "Midway from the Equator to the North Pole – Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada".Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada.94. Harvard.edu: 48.Bibcode:2000JRASC..94...48B.
^Man-Kong, Mary; Mateu, Francese (January 1, 1999).Theodore and the treasure hunt. New York: Random House.ISBN0375800867.OCLC42719390.
^Man-Kong, Mary; Edwards, Ken; Cochran, Andrew; Rosen, Jeff (January 1, 2000).Theodore to the rescue. New York: Random House.ISBN0375803254.OCLC44942682.
^Man-Kong, Mary; Edwards, Ken; MacLellan, Kathy (January 1, 1999).Theodore's best friend. New York: Random House.ISBN0679994092.OCLC40678302.
^Man-Kong, Mary; Edwards, Ken (January 1, 1999).Theodore's splash!. New York: Random House.ISBN0679894101.OCLC43606789.
^Man-Kong, Mary; Mateu, Francese; Cochran, Andrew; Rosen, Jeff (January 1, 1998).Theodore's whistle. New York: Random House.ISBN0679894195.OCLC38884941.
^Robertson, Ivan; Edwards, Ken (January 1, 1999).Theodore and the stormy day. New York: Random House.ISBN037580076X.OCLC44883863.
^Robertson, Ivan; Gleaves, Phil; Cochran, Andrew; Rosen, Jeff (January 1, 2000).Theodore's birthday surprise. New York: Random House.ISBN0375802495.OCLC45582615.
^Cochran entertainment had gone into receivership in 2002 and had sold the rights for Theodore to Classic Media. Murphy's Sailing Tours Limited licensed the right to operate Theodore Too from Classic Media. It is unclear from the metadata in the Nimbus books if they are a merchandising tie-in with the TV show or the boat.
